Christopher Lloyd "Chris" Smalling

[hendiplast]

United hand Chris Smalling chance to show he is Rio Ferdinand's heir
Manchester United are without their first-choice defender against Man City and must rely on an inexperienced youngster instead



From Sir Alex Ferguson, there was acclaim for Chris Smalling and the sense of a young man increasingly comfortable in his own skin, acclimatising to life as a Manchester United player and demonstrating the gifts that have elevated him from non-league football to the top tier of his profession in two and a half years.

But there was one significant drawback as Ferguson contemplated the 159th Manchester derby and what threatens to be the most challenging assignment of Smalling's career to date. It was that the 21-year-old was being discussed only because Rio Ferdinand's injury problems have flared up again. The England captain is facing another fortnight out and, as Ferguson will be acutely aware, there is hard evidence that can have serious ramifications.

It is when you analyse the statistics that it becomes clear how Ferdinand's absence can rob United's defence of its poise. With him in the side alongside Nemanja Vidic the team have conceded an average of 0.67 goals in their league games this season. When the pairing is broken up, it balloons to 1.4. In short, United are more than twice as likely to concede when they are without their first-choice defensive partnership.

As Ferguson noted: "They don't always play together but, in the main games, it's a fantastic partnership. They have the experience and quality behind them of going for championships." For United there are immediate dangers, particularly if Manchester City are emboldened to play with more ambition than they volunteered in the reverse fixture last November.

Ferguson talked up Smalling but the £10m signing from Fulham has started only three league matches and it has not been a flawless introduction judging by the way he was sucked out of position in allowing Tuncay Sanli to cross for Stoke City's goal at Old Trafford last month.

Smalling has never faced a striker as accomplished as Carlos Tevez when it comes to wearing down opponents and forcing his personality on to a game of football either and, in essence, he is in the team only by default given Jonny Evans's confidence issues, irrespective of the ankle injury the Northern Ireland international suffered this week.

Wes Brown, once described by Ferguson as the best natural defender in the country, has almost vanished from the radar, now the club's fifth-choice centre-half. The options, to be blunt, are not great.

The medical diagnosis also makes Ferdinand doubtful for the first leg of the Champions League tie against Marseille on Wednesday week, although United's staff can be encouraged that the calf injury he suffered in the warm-up at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday is not linked to the back problems that restricted him to only 12 starts in the league last season.

"It's nothing to do with his back," Ferguson said. "That was our main concern. It'll just be a couple of weeks. You have to remember Rio's been in first-team football since he was 17 years old. That's a long time so he will pick up these little strains – but I'm sure this isn't a long-term thing."

As for Smalling, Ferguson believes a player who was on Maidstone's books as recently as 2008 will be challenging Ferdinand for a permanent place in a year to 18 months. "He may lack a bit of big-game experience but he's quick – he's a good user and passer of the ball. The boy's been terrific training-wise, and in the games he's played I've been very pleased with him."

Increasingly, however, there is the sense at Old Trafford that if United are to have a successful end to the season Ferdinand will have to stay fit. A goal has gone in every 51 minutes when Evans has been on the pitch. For Vidic it is 97 and for Smalling 104.

Ferdinand brings an extra insurance – a goal conceded every 135 minutes – because of the way he reads the game, his anticipation and the positional sense that makes it rare to see him diving into tackles. Behind the scenes it is not seen as a fluke that he has not been booked since a late tackle on Fernando Torres in the 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in March 2009. Without his trusted partner, Vidic can overcompensate at times and make uncharacteristic errors.

Still, the fact United have conceded only eight goals at Old Trafford this season provides an essential piece of perspective, though Roberto Mancini has noted their vulnerability in the air recently, with two headers conceded against Wolves and at Blackpool. "Every set piece is going to be important," the Manchester City manager said.

For Smalling, this is the match that could tell us the most yet about his credentials to be viewed as the heir to Ferdinand.

Guardian

[hendiplast]

The unlikely story of United centre back Chris Smalling
Manchester United are expected to name Chris Smalling in their starting eleven for tomorrow's Manchester derby, an incredible progression for the defender who was playing for Maidstone United three years ago.



Smalling, now 21, was still at school in Chatham, Kent when playing for Maidstone in the Isthmian League Premier Division, six tiers below the Premier League. After making his debut at 17 Smalling spent a season excelling with the Stones, also managing to produce the finest ever tribute to a 1970s football sticker.

Fulham spotted the defender and paid £10,000 up front for his services, with £10,000 more coming after every 10 league appearances he made for the club. Smalling did not sign a contract at Maidstone as this would have precluded him from playing in the England Schoolboys team, which does not select any players signed to professional deals.

When Manchester United beat off interest from Arsenal and paid £10m for Smalling in January 2010 after just three Premier League appearances for Fulham, Maidstone sought more money, appealing to Mohammed Al-Fayed's compassionate side. With no formal sell-on clause in place, Al-Fayed turned them down.

The £10m price tag suggested United had seen something very special. Such a transfer fee for a player of his age with so little experience can only be an admission of guilt that the major club's collective scouting networks have let one slip through the net.

After being immediately loaned back to Fulham for the remainder of the 2010 Smalling made his United debut in a pre-season game against Celtic in Canada, and scored his first goal two weeks later on the same tour in a 3-1 win over Chivas Guadalajara. He has already started three Premier League games for United this year.

Smalling has a similar playing style to Ferdinand, with an elegant, unhurried manner on the ball that is at odds with his imposing physical presence. At 6'4" he is three and half inches taller than the England captain. But Smalling has been at pains to point out his ability to scrap in central defence.

He names Tony Adams as his idol, and told Mark Ogden that his time at Maidstone taught him the grit to go along with his natural talent: "Every young centre half picks up different traits and I like to bring out the ball like Rio does. But I started out at Maidstone United, so I had to grind out some games physically. Hopefully I’ve still got that in my locker.

“My career has moved at such a rate and hopefully it can just keep on going. I’m very much excited at being a part of this," he said last summer. He is on the verge of being thrown in at the deep end.

Telegraph

[renandez]

Rasanya memang duet vidic-smalling yg saat ini paling bisa diandalkan ketika rio sedang absen membela united
Semoga dgn kepercayaan ini smalling bisa membuktikan kemampuannya dan bahwa dia pantas berada di OT

[hendiplast]

Class performance from Smalling this night, keep on movin Smalling

[Mahesa_Jenar]

Smalling bermain sangat perkasa lawan City. Dingin dan nyaris tanpa kesalahan
Bloody fantastic.. benar benar layak menjadi pelapis Rio, dan bukan tidak mungkin suatu saat akan menjadi suksesornya...

Keep the spirit Lad...!!!

[arson pelipus]

Defender masa depan Inggris dan United........pertahankan CS12 performamu agar bisa menjadi tulang punggung buat pasukan SETAN MERAHKU......

[hendiplast]

Joe Royle: Chris Smalling shows he can step into Rio Ferdinand's shoes



Joe Royle was part of the last Manchester City team to finish higher than United in the league, in 1977, and went on to manage the club between 1998 and 2001 when they won two promotions before getting relegated from the Premier League.

He faced Sir Alex Ferguson twice in the dugout in Manchester derbies, losing 1-0 to a David Beckham free-kick at Maine Road but earning a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the best in the business at looking ahead.In Chris Smalling, he has the next Rio Ferdinand

We know about his composure on the ball, as seen in one run out of defence, but Sir Alex will be more impressed with his defending yesterday - that is his primary job.

When City were going for it in the closing stages, looking for an equaliser, Smalling stood firm and his finest moment came when he made a great tackle in the final moment.

Nani looks more and more like the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo, Smalling is the equivalent for Ferdinand.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/

[Redsbusby]

Smalling happy with derby debut

Sunday 13th February 2011 13:18
TeamTalk

Chris Smalling has admitted he could not have had a better introduction to the frenzy of a Manchester derby.

The 21-year-old performed superbly as Rio Ferdinand's replacement in the Manchester United defence.

Matchwinning hero Wayne Rooney claimed Smalling deserved the man-of-the-match prize for the manner in which he subdued Carlos Tevez and Sir Alex Ferguson also heaped praise on the youngster afterwards.

It was a marvellous feat considering he was making only his fourth Premier League start since a £7million summer move from Fulham.

And he loved every minute.

"I knew I was going to be playing earlier in the week so I had a lot of time to prepare," he said.

"People have been telling me just what a massive game this is.

"Once I got my first touch it was a case of enjoying it and playing like any other game.

"It was a great occasion and I really enjoyed myself. To win it and play my part is a real joy."

Considering he was at Maidstone three years ago, Smalling has grown up pretty quickly.

And the Londoner is starting to get used to the demands of being a United player.

"We all saw the table before the game and knew how crucial this game was," he said.

"It had been emphasised to us all week, every time we stepped on the training field.

"In the end, we got our just desserts. Their goal was pretty jammy and it would have been a travesty if they had taken anything out of that game."

That Manchester City did not collect a point from their Old Trafford visit was down to the magnificence of Rooney's overhead kick, a goal Smalling is happy to watch over and over.

"We saw it on TV in the dressing room," he said.

"It has come right out of the middle of his foot and flew into the top corner. There is no better way to win the game. Wazza worked tirelessly all game. It was a fabulous occasion."

[dyan_giggs]

kalo rio mau pensiun sekarang
kaya'nya ga akan pusing lagi nyari penggantinya
teves mati kutu di buatnya

[Redsbusby]

Rahasia cemerlangnya sang defender dr london untuk mengawal tevez - yg uda terbiasa menghadapi rio d setiap derby... hingga filosofi dan perkembangan smalling sejak berada di OT.


Rio Ferdinand chat the secret of Chris Smalling success

Stuart Mathieson, February 14, 2011
MENMedia

Chris Smalling was pinpointed as Manchester United’s Achilles heel in the derby – but he proved to be a defensive Trojan for the Reds.

The 21-year-old derby debutant kept the lid on 22-goal marksman Carlos Tevez to help United secure a 2-1 success and press home their title advantage.

Smalling was drafted in to replace calf victim Rio Ferdinand.

Ferdinand’s United experience dwarfs his junior of 11 years by over 300 appearances for the Reds but the young deputy made it a seamless transition as Nemanja Vidic’s sidekick.

But the £10m capture from Fulham told M.E.N. Sport his derby triumph was down to a chat with Ferdinand and drawing on his own experiences at Fulham last season.

“There was an emphasis on me coming into the team because Rio has been so solid, so to play my part in such a massive game and a big title match was brilliant,” Smalling said.

“The players around me make it so much easier. They are always talking to me. When I had my first touch I just felt like one of the other lads who play regularly every week.

“I was talking to Rio on Friday and he was giving me little pointers. He has played with and against Carlos Tevez for many years and seen him in training every day for a couple of years so he was giving me little bits of advice on how to play him.

Touch

“He was making the point that Carlos likes to feel the defenders at his back. So you let him have his touch before you move in and go for him. It was great advice because he is a tricky player. It was a really good challenge for me.

“To have that knowledge to tap into is incredible. You get so much feedback with players you are playing with, players who are injured like Rio and the many coaches we have. It really puts me at ease and allows you to enjoy the occasion.

“It is great to have that pre-match advice but you also cannot beat first-hand experience. You can watch as many videos as you want but until you face them it is different.

“I faced Carlos for Fulham last season and I did really well in one match and then another time he got the better of me. So to be able to re-test myself against a world class striker was good

“We played City in the Carling Cup and I did well against him but then we played at Craven Cottage in the league and I was turned too easily and he scored.

“Rio and the coaches were telling me not to do anything rash. Their comments, coupled with what I knew from last season’s experience, helped me. It paid off and I hope it showed.

“I was able to be calm before this massive occasion because I had also learnt from last season at Fulham.

“I have learnt a lot to calm down. At Fulham I think I hyped myself up too much at times and got a bit tense and then I made mistakes. Playing centre back is all about being calm and that is sinking in now. Now I feel I can relax and play my normal game.

“I am on a high now. I want to finish the season strongly. I hope I can prove to the manager that I can play a part. I am feeling really confident at the moment.”

Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson added his own tribute to Smalling.

Improving

“Chris Smalling has been exceptional since he came here. There is no doubt about that. He is improving all the time. All the training sessions, he does extra all the time. He wants to be a player. He likes defending. That is the best thing about him,” he said.

Ferguson also expressed sympathy for Portuguese winger Nani, whose own excellent strike to break the deadlock was over-shadowed by Wayne Rooney’s wonder hit.

“All the talk will be about the winner, and quite rightly so, because I have never seen a goal like that in my life. It was absolutely magnificent,” said Sir Alex.

“Nani was fantastic. I thought he and Ryan Giggs gave us fantastic width in the game. Nani has that special thing – Ryan had it 15 years ago – he threatened all the time.

“He was going by players. He had a shot from outside the box. People will forget Nani’s goal because of Rooney’s. But his goal, the control and first-touch and then sliding it into the corner of the net was a great goal. Unfortunately for him, all the talk will be of Wayne’s goal.

“Some of our football was fantastic. There was great confidence and composure in our game. It is a great result. City had some moments when they caused us a bit of trouble. But that is what you expect. They are in the top four and they are challenging. They are a force. This was a fantastic result.

“I don’t think they are out of the title race. In this league, with 12 games to go, games can be won and lost.”